Seal and brace for boxes



J. W. WEBB. l SEAL AND BRACE FOR-BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13,*11916.

Patented Jan. 4m, 1921.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs JOHN WILLIAM WEBB, QF ATHENS, GEORGIA.

f SEAL Ann BRAGE Fon Boxes.

Specication of Letters Patent.

PatentediJ an. 4, 1921.

Application `ilei March 13, 1916. Serial No. 83,843.

To all whom t may concern.' v

Be it known that I, JON W. WEBB, a

citizen ofthe United States, residin at- Athens, in the county 'of Clarke and tate of Geor ia, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Seals and Braces for Boxes; and' I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for sealing the flaps of boxes or cartons and for strengthening the corners of the boxes. It has for its object to provide sealing and strengthening means prepared for ready application by the merchant in his place of business Where the box flaps are closed and sealed in the operation of lling the boxl or cartonin readiness for shipment or storage. Heretofore the flaps have been sealed by applying a coating of glue or like adhesive substance to the meeting surfaces of the flaps. An objection to such method is that through carelessness of the operator or workman the adhesive substance has been imperfectly applied, either covering "only a portion of the surface, or more thickly applied at one point than another, or applied in an imperfect condition as to consistency or fluidity, so that the sealing has been defective a d the`necessary strength for security not` obtained. In other instances, the flaps havel been sealed by applying strips of tape to portions of the box in manufacturing the box so that when the boxes have been filled and the flaps folded an adhesive may be applied to the remaining ex osed face'of the tape to cause the folded ap to be secured. An objection to such method is that the adhesive may be imperfectly applied so thata defective sealing is effected; and furthermore the tapes are a plied in the manuy facture of the boxes an `not capable of application by the merchant to whatever type.

or make of boxes he may use in his business. Another method is to apply tapes to the outside of the boxes and across the folded flaps i but this method is open to the objection that the meeting faces or surfaces of the flap are to meet all conditions of handling the boxes in shipment. j l

To provide vsealing and strengthening means obviating the objection mentioned land affording thev maximum of security and strength and capable of application by the merchant in his place of busi-ness during the operation .of filling and sealing the boxes or cartons, the invention consists in the fea-I tures hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being -had to the accom- 'panying drawings forming a part hereof,

and in whieh- Figure 1 isa perspective of a box or car'- ton having the invention applied and indicatingthe method of applying the tapes;

Fig. 2 isa perspective of one corner of a box showing the flaps folded, anda corner brace `at one stage of its folding;

Fig. 3 asimilar view showing another 4 stageof folding the corner brace;

. Fig. 4 a perspective of a sealing tape, both faces of =which are provided with the adhesive; Y

Fig. 5 a perspective of a corner brace,

with one gummed face, as it a pears before its attachment to the double ilace gummed tape ;A A

Fig. 6 aperspective of the double 'face gummed tape, and corner braces attached, with the ungummed face of the corner braces. exposed Fig. 7'is a view similar to'F ig. 6, looking from the opposite side of the double face gummed tape and corner braces, and with the double faced tape wider than shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a portion of a l flaps are folded;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through a sealed box on the line 9-9 of Fig. 10;

Fig-10 is a vertical section through a box on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9. I

,In the drawings the.`numeral l designates a box or carton of a usual type, formed of berboard or pulpboard, or double faced@ corrugated strawboard, and having'opposite" open ends, each provided with folding, end

flaps 2 and folding side aps y3.

The numeral 4 deslgnates a strip or ta e of paper or fabric, 'in length and width sultable/to the dimensions of the box or carton with which it is to be used, and having both faces gummed with a suitable adhesive substance 5 which when moistened will adhere to the contiguous surfaces of the flaps which it is designed to securely seal or hold together. As illustrated the gummed tape is interposed between the flaps 2 and 3, being first moistened on both sides and then laid upon the inner folded flaps 2,` along the edges of the ends of the box and then the outer flaps 3 are folded upon the tapes, and thus the tapes with their moistened opposite gummed faces in contact with the outer surfaces of the inner folded end flaps and the inner surfaces of the outer folded side flaps are caused to hold the contiguous faces.; of the two sets of flaps together in intimate union throughout the entire area of the double faced gummed tape.

The tapes being prepared with their two faces normally gummed and not'moistened that the flaps are thus to be secured together, with the result of a closer union between the.

until to be applied in sealing the flaps both faces are brought to the same degree of adhesiveiiess at the moment that the flaps are to be sealed one to 'the other by being pressed togetherand the same conditions will prevail on both faces of the tape at the time contiguous faces of the flaps uniformly throughout the entire area of the tape than would .be the case if the tape were applied to one flap in the making of the box and an adhesive applied to the other face when the other Hap is to be( secured thereto. The tape, with both faces normally gummed, and moistened on both faces at the time the flaps are to be sealed, is given a degree of flexibility or pliability that mhkes it possible for both surfaces to conform yto the contiguous surfaces of the flaps at the time that pressure is applied to join the flaps to; gether, and thus also a closer union between the flaps is obtained. and the two, along the line of union, are made ypractically integral' or one. These are some of the advantages derived by forming the tape with two nor- 'mally gummed faces, beside the .advantage of enabling the merchant to use the sealing means with whatever type -or make of box he may for the time be using.

The double face gummed tape 4 may be the full width of the inner folding flaps 2 as indicated in Fig. 8 Yof the drawing, or`

may be narrower as illustrated in Fig. 1. If

narrower, additional double face gummed,

tapes G may be applied along or near the inner edges of the flaps 2 as illustrated in F ig. 1 of the drawing. The ad-vantageof having the double face gummed tape along the inner edge of the flaps 2 is that being back from the fold or connection 'between lthe flaps and the walls of the box it affords greater leverage or resistance to the tenddouble face ency to force the flaps outwardly when the box strikes along the edges in handling, and thus contributes to the strength of the box.

For the purpose of giving additional strength to the box, particularly at the corners Where the greatest liability to split or break` occurs, l provide corner braces which more securely hold or seal the outside flaps.

These corner braces are designated by the numeral 7. The brace is made of paper or fabricand provided onone face with a suit-v able adhesive substance 8. lt is slitted diagonally from one corner as indicated at 9 so as to form a tongue 10 thatfmay lie between the Haps 2 and 3 at aV corner of the box,two members 11 and .-12 to lie against the Walls of the box, a third member 13 to` lie upon the outer foldedap 3, and a tongue 1 4 to extend over the edge of thefolded flap and overlie the member l1 so as to effectively shield and seal the corner of the box. These braces may be formed and applied separately from the double face gummed tape, or may be attached to the ends thereof so as to be a part thereof. In applyilng the corner braces, 'the tongue l() thereof `is preferably caused to lie underneath the double face gummed tape 4; the portion 11 is thenpressed down against the outside of theend 'wall of thebox, as shown in ig. 1 the p'ortion l2 is then pressed against the outside of the sidewall as shown in Fig.. 2; the outer' folding-'flap vis closed and the portion 13 of the brace then pressed down on thetop of the'fl'ap as shown in l* 1g. 3; and then the tongue 14 is pressed down on the end wall and over the portion 1l, and thus the seal iseffected, the moistened gummed face Vof the brace causing the several portiotns of the brace to securely adhere to the surfaces with which they come in contact. The corner braces and double face gummed ta e may be formed together as shown in Fig. 6 before being applied to the box, or they may be formed and applied separately, the tongue 10 of the corner brace being caused to adhere to the inner folded endlap, and the double faced tape then applied, and the other portions of the brace aiiixed as previously described; or under some conditions, if so desired, only the double face gummed tage may be used, or only the corner braces. t is preferred however to use together the double face gummed tape and the corner braces as in that caseY ing together of the several parts and contribute to produce a much stronger box.

By providing sealing and strengthening boxes, the means-is applicable to whatever type of box may be used by the merchant, and a more eiicient sealing of the box is obtainable because of the conditions previously enumerated. Furthermore, a fiberboard, pulpboard, or double faced corru gated stra-Wboard box meeting the various requirements of the railroad transportation and express companies, as to sealing and strain resisting qualities, is provided and at less expense than under other means employed with the view of meeting such requirements; and the box is made materially stronger and With greater strain resisting qualities at points Where heretofore they have been the Weakest, that is, at the flaps and the corners. These advantages are due in a large rmeasure to the fact that thel sealing `tape employed is formed With two normally gummed faces so that when the tape is dipped ina moistening liquid the tape is rendered more pliable and both surfaces are put in the same condition so that when the tape is laid between the-box flaps the contiguous surfaces of the outer and inner liaps are secured one to the other throughout the whole area of the tape at both faces thereof and under uniform conditions of adhesiveness so that a more efficient and secure sealing With added strength is obtained.

l have illustrated and described the best mode of applying the invention at present known to me and as demonstrat d by various tests but changes may be made in the details Without departing from the essentials as specified in the appendedclaims. It isalso obvious that Where'the Width of the box makes it necessary, or desirable, the double faced tape may be made up of separate sections or lengths brought together to make practically a continuous length, each section at the corners being provided With a corner brace..

Having described my invention and set forth its merits What l claim is:

l. ln boxes having folding closure flaps, means for securing the flaps in closed position and bracing the corners of the box, consisting of a tape having its opposite faces gummed for adhesion to contiguous faces of inner and outer liapslof the box and end corner braces having a gummed surface formed to lap on the adjacent Walls of the box at the corners and onto the exposed face of an outer folded flap and having a tongue 'to fold over theedges of the folded flap and Wall of the box and onto the Wall adjacent to said edges, the corner braces being rectangular shaped and cut along a diagonal toward the-center. j

2. lin boxes having folding closure Haps,

means for bracing the corners of the box consisting of a gummed faced member formed to lap on the adjacent Walls'of the box at the corners and onto the exposed face of an outer folded flap and having a tongue to fold over the edges of the folded flap and Wall of the box and onto the Wall adjacent to said edges, said corner member being rectangular shaped and cut along a diagonal toward the center.

3. ln boxes having folding closure flaps, means for securing the iiaps in closed position and bracing the corners of the box, consistingof a double face gummed tape for adhesionV to the contiguous faces of folded flaps, and corner braces having a gummed face'and formed to lap on the Walls of the box at the corners and onto the exposed face of an outer folded flap and having a tongue to fold over the edges of the folded liap and wall of the box and onto the Wall adjacent to said edges and a tongue to lie between the folded flaps and in contact with the tape, said corner braces being rectangular shaped and cut along a diagonal toward the center.

In testimony whereof l aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.-

J @HN lVlLLlAlt/.i WEBB Witnesses:

T. A.. PHELPS, JOHN W.. Coon.. 

